Surnames

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

This morning hubby and I hit the road and made tracks for Abilene KS. The mid-west part of the country did not disappoint us. The road work we ran into didn't deter us either. We enjoyed reading the roadside billboards as we drove eastward.

In 2009, I was driving the same route only going west toward home with my eldest daughter. After reading a roadside billboard advertising Prarie Dog Town and 5 Legged Calf, we had to stop. Today I pointed out the same signs going the other way to my husband. We reiminsced about stopping at a Prarie Dog Town when our girls were little.

Another thing that happened today, we watched a crop-dusting plane work over the fields next to us. He was flying so low that at one point he crossed over the highway and I thought he was going to land right in front of us. I almost ducked. Wow, that was awesome!

We got to Abilene around 12:30 p.m., had lunch, then went over to the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. We spent 4 hours. The visit was well worth the time. We had been to the Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon Presdential Libraries in California and today made our 3rd Presdiental Library on our list. Tomorrow we're heading to Independence, MO to visit the Truman Library. Each one is different and special. I was a baby when Eisenhower was president and a little girl when his 2nd term ended, but I do have a somewhat fuzzy memory of some of the things that happened during his administration. I found it very fascinating.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

We are really making tracks for Springfield, IL. We left Grand Junction, CO this morning and we're settling down tonight in Colby, KS. Drove across a whole state and into the Central Time Zone. Lost another hour.

The trip has been seamless so far. Only had a small mishap today. While driving behind a semi-truck a small rock flew up and we now have a small crack in the windshield. Hasn't spread into a bigger crack yet. Hope to get to Springfield before we have to have the windshield replaced.

Monday we drove through a portion of Utah and into Colorado. I forgot how fabulous the rock formations were. I put away the book I was reading and just enjoyed the scenery, it was so breathtaking. It reminded me how fortunate we were to live in the West. We pulled over into a view overlook to get some pictures.

While driving through the canyons I like to imagine how it was over 100 years ago for the pioneers coming west by wagon train or just on a horse. They didn't have paved roads or roadside rest stops. No sign of any shade. They had to make do, with what they had. Don't think I would have made a very good pioneer. I probably would have traveled by train.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Our wedding was held on Saturday, April 5, 1975. My husband and I were only 23 years old. The weather was anything but perfect. Rain, rain and more rain! It must have rained the whole week!

My sister was my matron of honor, my new sister-in-law and a girlfriend from work were the other bridesmaids. My husband's best friend was his best man, another school friend and my brother were his ushers.

Our wedding flowers that were delivered to the church by the florist weren't labeled with any names so I had to come forward and figure out which bridesmaid, usher, mother, father, or sister got what flowers. In the middle of all that a man came in the chapel looking for my aunt and uncle. My grandmother lived with my aunt and uncle. At that moment I knew that my grandmother who couldn't make it to our wedding, was dying. This is what I learned right before going down the aisle.

The people in the church had no idea what had happened. Somehow, my father got me down the aisle. I had to fight with my brain not to breakdown yet, had to wait until later. The wedding itself went on without a hitch, but outside the church there was a lot of crying. Grandma died that day.

We only have one picture outside of that day and that was of me holding up my wedding dress with both hands so it wouldn't get in a puddle and my husband holding a yellow umbrella over the both of us just before we jumped into the waiting car.
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On our way to our honeymoon.

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We may not have had the perfect wedding we had hoped and planned for, but we've been married for 36 years and we're planning on 36 more.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

My husband and I hit the road today, one day earlier than we planned. We're on our way to the Federation of Genealogical Socities Conference in Springfield, IL to be held Sept. 7-10. He got the "itch" to get down the road on a Sunday afternoon instead of Monday morning when lots of commuters are heading for work.

We live in Southern California so each morning that big, bright sun will be hitting us square in the face until it gets higher in the sky. That's what sunglasses are for. We're planning on stopping at various places as we head East. A couple of the spots are the Presidential Libraries of Eisenhower and Truman. We've been to the Reagan and Nixon libraries in California. They are truly inspirational and worth the visit.

Once we get to Springfield and check-in to our hotel, I'll have to go over to the convention center for a volunteer orientation. I signed up to be a room monitor for several session. I'm really looking forward to the whole experience.